We're All Dreaming This Life Away
by Writing4MySoul
Summary: Title from "World So Cold' by 12 Stones.


_Ahkmenrah, prince of Egypt, was currently trapped with his father and eldest brother in touring the kingdom. Ahkmenrah loved to be among the people, but not like this._ This _was his facadé, with the golden robes and crown heavy on his head. Most of the children smiled and waved, not caring about his royal status. To them he was just Ahk, for which the prince was eternally thankful._

 _Ahkmenrah was drawn from his musings by a commotion coming from within the crowd. The prince climbed off his horse, ignoring his father as he enters the congregation, knowing the dangers but being unable to bring himself to care. He follows the noises until he comes upon a small boy of six or seven years of age lying in the sand, a big burly man holding a whip over his head, ready to strike. The whip was brought down, but before Ahkmenrah could intervene, a girl roughly his age stepped in front of the boy, letting the whip wrap around her wrist, pulling the man forward with all of her strength, hitting him directly in the face. Ahkmenrah believed the man deserved his due, but he couldn't help but flinch at the sound of the man's nose breaking. The man shouted at her angrily, raising a hand towards her. Ahkmenrah decided now would be a good time to step in, the man stopping when he recognized the prince. "What is going on here?" Ahkmenrah asked, letting his voice sound commanding._

 _"The boy stole food from me," the man spat, blood dribbling from his nose._

 _"He did no such thing," the girl said. Ahkmenrah looked at her over his shoulder. Her hair was long and the color of the midnight sky, her skin sun-kissed, but what stood out to the prince were her eyes, which were the color of molten gold. Ahk was drawn to their beauty, feeling compelled to believe her._

 _"Prove it," the merchant said._

 _"How much do the stolen good cost?" Ahkmenrah asked, never taking his eyes off the girl, afraid she would disappear if he looked away. The man rattled off a price, Ahkmenrah easily handing over the payment to the man. The merchant looked at the gold pieces before accepting them, walking away begrudgingly._

 _The girl looked to the ground as if embarrassed. "Thank you, your Highness. If you had not intervened, I can't imagine what would've happened to my brother. How can I ever repay you?"_

 _Ahkmenrah stayed silent until she looked at him before smiling. "You can start by giving me your name."_

 _The girl gave him a lopsided grin, causing Ahkmenrah's heart to race. "Meresankh. My name is Meresankh."_

 **~*Dreaming*~**

Ahkmenrah woke from his slumber, not surprised to find himself trapped within his coffin. He strains his ears for any noise, this time surprised. Even if no one entered his tomb, he could still feel the vibrations of feet on the floor. The king sighed, trying to calm his wandering mind. After being trapped in his sarcophagus for five decades, Ahkmenrah had developed a fear of the darkness, shattering whatever love he had for it from when he still lived. He closed his eyes once more, prepared to live through his memories again.

His eyes snapped open at the sound of footsteps entering his chamber. Ahkmenrah's heartbeat quickened as he began screaming at the top of his lungs and pounded on the lid of his prison, begging to the gods that they would free him. He heard something heavy fall to the floor before the latch came loose. In his excitement for freedom, Ahkmenrah pushed the lid off with all his might, causing it to fly off and crash into the adjacent wall. He lifted himself out of the coffin, placing his feet gingerly on the floor. The tile was cool against the soles of his feet, and Ahkmenrah felt giddy as felt the cold seep through his bandages. The king forgot about the other human being was in the room until he felt a hesitant hand placed on his shoulder. Ahkmenrah's head snapped up, unable to clearly see the person, but was able to identify the stranger as a female. The hand remained on his shoulder as he lifted his arm to his face. Ahkmenrah took his time in unwrapping his face, not wanting to rush in case this was a dream. Finally free, the first thing he saw made his breath catch in his throat. " _Meresankh_ ," he breathed, happy to see his old friend for the first time in four thousand years. Meresankh's eyebrows knit together, tilting her head to the side, and Ahkmenrah felt his stomach drop in despair. _She doesn't remember me_ , he thought. He pushed the thought to the side for later, instead opting to think about the gratitude he felt for his savior. "You would not _believe_ how stuffy it is in there," he told her, smiling despite the situation.

"I can only imagine. I'm Madelyn Daley, by the way," Meresankh— _Madelyn_ — said, smiling at him. She looked down and blushed, Ahkmenrah doing the same a moment later when he realized she still had her hand on his shoulder. Madelyn quickly retracted it, and Ahkmenrah felt bereft of the first bit of human contact he'd had in a very long time. "I need your help," Madelyn continues, "the old night guards took your tablet. My dad, the new night guard, went after them, but that won't last for long. You're the only one who knows how to work the tablet."

A chill ran through the king. If they took the tablet far away— "I shall help you in your endeavor. But first, I shall require assistance in removing these," Ahkmenrah says, lifting his bandaged hand.

Madelyn smiled. "Yeah, those hafta be musty after... how long were you in there?"

Ahkmenrah breathed out a harsh puff of air. "If my estimations are correct, I've been entombed in my sarcophagus for approximately fifty years."

" _Fifty_ —" Madelyn stopped, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before opening her eyes again. She looked angrier than Ahkmenrah had ever seen her, and he still remembered her fight with Kahmunrah. "I'm gonna talk to my dad about this after all this bullshit is over," she mumbled, grabbing his hand to start the tedious process of unwrapping the king. "Why wouldn't they let you out?" Madelyn asked after a few minutes of peaceful silence.

"According to the older guards, I'm cursed."

Madelyn snorted. "People are so stupid," she said as she finished removing the first layer of linen from his body, revealing the golden chestplate that he was entombed with. There was other clothing he could feel on his body, but they were still hidden by the cloth. "I would apologize, but it's not really my fault. Though I'm going to make the entire museum apologize for not thinking of your imprisonment. You'd think they would have more compassion."

"You don't need to do that," Ahkmenrah said softly, touched by her kindness.

The girl gives him a small smile. "I've always been taught that when people are wrong, you need to tell them so they can learn from their mistakes. But I've taught myself that when someone's been wronged, you show them that it isn't their fault."

Ahkmenrah looked at Madelyn, _really_ looked at her for the first time. "I thank you, Madelyn. You could have just kept me locked in there and gone on with your life."

"Maybe, but not for long. Your screams—" Madelyn cut herself off, silently finished peeling off the linen from the young pharaoh's body. It was another minute before she spoke again. "Those sounded like my brother's. Nicky used to get such bad nightmares when he was a toddler, and the only person who could calm him down was me. It's not as bad anymore, but his screams still haunt me. I could never have walked away from that. Not when I knew I could help." Before Ahkmenrah could begin to formulate a response, Madelyn tugged off the last bandage, the rest falling in tandem. She walked away, coming back a moment later with his crown and cape. She held them out to him. "I think, if you're going to rule this kingdom, you need to at least _look_ the part."

The pharaoh took the crown from her grasp, placing it on his head. Ahkmenrah didn't feel as great of a burden as he did all those millennia ago. He looked back at Madelyn, gesturing towards the entrance of his makeshift tomb. "Lead the way."

Madelyn barely managed to get out of the museum exhibit before stopping, Ahkmenrah running into her. He tried to apologize, but she wasn't listening, grabbing his hand and pulling the pharaoh in the opposite direction that she originally intended. Ahkmenrah blushed, trying to ignore the urge to intertwine their fingers. He had missed the warmth of human contact since he was separated from his parents, but he missed Meresanhk's touch the most. Now that he had her once more, Ahkmenrah vowed to himself that he would protect her from all harm, even if that meant never telling Madelyn— "Sorry for the detour, but we need all the help we can get," the girl said, breaking through Ahkmenrah's thoughts. They were in a hall where the only occupants in the room were two men and a woman behind glass. Madelyn let go of his hand, walking calmly towards the glass. Before she got there, she picked up a rock from a nearby display, gesturing for the woman to move before hurling the rock at the glass, shattering it into a million woman looked surprised, but Madelyn didn't even flinch. "I'm Madelyn Daley, and this is Ahkmenrah. To keep this short, there's this tablet that gives you life every night, and it's been stolen. We need your help to find it. Her, not you two morons," Madelyn said, pointing at the two men. "If you stopped arguing enough, I might ask for your help, but I'll let you two work out your issues. Sacajawea, if you'll follow me." Sacajawea climbed down from her display, careful of the glass. They both followed Madelyn through the museum until they reached the main hall. Ahkmenrah watched in horror at the chaos that had swept through the museum, displays fighting each other harshly. He looked at Madelyn, her face mirroring his own shock. She looked across the way, her face lighting up the moment she saw something. "Dad!" she shouted, running around the corner of the observation floor, Ahkmenrah and Sacajawea following behind her.

"Madelyn!" an older man shouted, running to meet the girl. They embraced, the man pulling her close. It took Ahkmenrah a moment to recognize the uniform Madelyn's father was wearing, now remembering he was the new night guard. Father and daughter parted, a small body latching itself onto Madelyn's leg. Ahkmenrah recognized the small boy as Meresanhk's little brother, Nekure. The pharaoh was now very confused. _Two_ souls from his past reincarnated? What did the gods have planned if they were here?

Madelyn laughed gleefully, picking the boy up. "Hey Nicky!" she said, setting him on her hip. "Still think Dad's job is boring?"

Nicky shook his head adamantly before looking over at Ahkmenrah, his eyes widening. Ahkmenrah smiled at the boy, Nicky blushing slightly and hiding in the crook of Madelyn's neck. Madelyn coaxed Nicky back out as Mr. Daley ("please, call me Larry") tried to talk to the museum occupants. "Hi," Nicky said quietly, barely above a whisper.

"Hello, Nicky. I'm Ahkmenrah, but my friends call me Ahk. Do you want to be my friend?" Nicky nodded quickly, suddenly excited. Ahkmenrah smiled at him, noticing Madelyn giving him a soft look out of the corner of his eye. Ahk held out his hand to Nicky, holding the young boy's hand in his own. It was paler than it was in his last life, but it still fit perfectly in his palm. "Thank you. It has been many years since I have made a friend."

"You're welcome," Nicky said quietly, once again hiding in his sister's neck. He looked back up at the young pharaoh. "No one should ev'r be alone. I should know."

Ahkmenrah's eyebrows furrowed. "You're too young to be alone, he told Nicky, not truly believing what he was saying. If anyone could understand loneliness at Nicky's age, it was the boy king. Before Meresanhk, he too had been bereft of a true friendship. But he also knew never to question the work of the gods. They had a plan for all of them. "But you've never really been alone," Ahkmenrah continued, "you have your sister and your parents. I have not seen mine for over eighty years. But from what I've learned throughout my life is that, while I may be alone physically, I will always have the people I love here." Ahkmenrah used his free hand to lay it over Nicky's heart. "Where I come from, the heart is the most vital organ in our bodies. This is where we keep all the memories of the people we care for. As long as you have your heart, you will always have love."

Nicky smiled at Ahkmenrah before letting go of his hand in order to hug the pharaoh. Madelyn handed him the young boy without hesitation, stepping over to her father in order to add to the rousing speech he was giving. Nicky pulled back to look at Ahkmenrah, his smile brighter than the sun at high noon. "Now you can be in my heart, and I can be in yours." With that said, he went back to hugging the pharaoh, Ahkmenrah adjusting him of his hip so Nicky wouldn't fall. Ahkmenrah was broken from his trance by the roar of the other museum patrons. He looked over the railing to see them coming together in order to save each other. It was very awe-inspiring to see them make peace after fighting mere moments ago. Nicky cheered with them, causing Ahkmenrah's ears to ring. The young boy climbed out of Ahkmenrah's grasp, walking over to Larry, wrapping himself around the night guard's leg. The older (though technically younger) man put a comforting hand on the boy's head as he put exhibits into different groups to hunt down the old night guards.

"I like how you're just standing there looking pretty while Dad does his speeching."

Ahkmenrah jumped at the sound of Madelyn's voice. "You shouldn't sneak up on a person," he reprimanded. She didn't even bother to apologize, just giving him a look. "Besides, they know your father better than they know me. And they seem to respect him."

Madelyn laughed, the sound warming what remained of Ahkmenrah's heart. "Remind me to introduce you to the Capuchin. According to Dad, Dexter is the devil incarnate. Or whatever Egyptians have for the bad guy in your mythology. It's been awhile since I've read the stories."

"I believe the god you are referring to is Set. He killed his brother in order to gain the throne."

"Sounds about right. Oh hey, we're actually gonna get something done," Madelyn said as Larry and Nicky ran to the other side of the museum, Sacajawea already running behind them. Ahkmenrah and Madelyn soon caught up, grabbing the other's hand to stay together. They exited the loading bay just as an older man rides on a carriage, another exhibit pushing Sacajawea out of harm's way. "Teddy!" Madelyn shouted, her and the others rushing over to their fallen comrade.

"Don't worry about me, my dear. The tablet is getting away!" the man, Teddy, told her.

Larry ran a hand through his hair, looking worried. "Ok, this is what we're gonna do. Sacajaweya—"

"Wea," Sacajawea, Teddy and Madelyn corrected.

"Gesundheit. Anyway, you stay here with teddy. Madelyn, take Nicky home and stay there. Ahkmenrah—"

"We're not going anywhere, Dad. You may have gotten into this by yourself, but you're stuck with us now. We're your kids. Whether you like it or not, we're gonna be with you through this." Nicky nodded in agreement while Madelyn smirked.

Larry sighed. "Fine, but you stay with your sister," he said to the young boy, Nicky nodding in excitement. The night guard looked down at Teddy. "I gotta catch up to Cecil. Can I—?"

A loud ' _thump_ ' shook the ground, a small motorized vehicle pulling up next to Teddy. Ahkmenrah noticed that the occupants were dressed differently than the others, but a roar led Ahkmenrah to look up, coming face-to-face with a rather large skeleton. The pharaoh stared at the creature in surprise, but Madelyn seemed more excited than terrified. She walked up to the creature, holding her hands out for it to sniff. When it deemed her worthy, the skeleton leaned down. Madelyn climbed on its back, grabbing Nicky and seating him in front of her, one arm around his waist. She held out a hand towards Ahkmenrah. He took it without hesitation, using the momentum to lift himself into the creature, hesitating in putting an arm around Madelyn's waist, but she didn't seem to mind. "Jedediah, Octavius, drive us around the museum to the park across the street. That's where Cecil has probably gone. Dad, we'll try and head him off while you go get Teddy's horse."

Larry nodded, heading inside the museum. "Be safe!"

"Wouldn't think of doing otherwise!" Madelyn shouted back. The miniature car sped off, the skeleton following behind it. Ahkmenrah was jostled slightly, his hold on Madelyn tightening. She didn't say anything, just patted his hand. "You ok back there?" she asked him.

Ahkmenrah nodded, "I am fine, though you may want to keep watch of your brother." Nicky was laughing and shouting in exhilaration. Madelyn also tightened her hold but did nothing else. "You don't seem shocked by any of this," the pharaoh observed.

Madelyn shrugged. "This may be the weirdest thing I've ever seen, but I'm too amazed to be worried. Besides, you guys make my dad happy. Seeing Dad happy makes me ecstatic. He hasn't really been the same since the divorce, so I could never really be against this." It was silent for a few minutes, then: "Thank you."

"For what?" Ahkmenrah asked, curious.

"For existing. Without you, none of this would be possible. Besides, you seem pretty cool. You deserve so much more than you got, you know that right?"

Ahkmenrah could only nod, unable to speak. _You deserved so much more than you got as well, my love_ , he though as his mind was thrown back into the past.


End file.
